Cisco challenges Microsoft-Skype deal

It’s been four months since the purchase of Skype by Microsoft was signed off by European authorities, but now networking giant Cisco has appealed the approval, asking authorities to place tougher conditions on the deal.

In a post on the Cisco blog, senior vice president Marthin De Beer says the company doesn’t oppose the merger in principle, but believes the companies should face more stringent interoperability guidelines, ‘to avoid any one company from being able to seek to control the future of video communications’.

"Imagine how difficult it would be if you were limited to calling people who only use the same carrier,” De Beer writes, "or if your phone could only call certain brands and not others.

"Cisco wants to avoid this future for video communications.”

European VoIP provider Messagenet has joined Cisco in the appeal.

"For the sake of customers, the industry recognises the need for ubiquitous unified communications interoperability, particularly between Microsoft/Skype and Cisco products, as well as products from other unified communications innovators.

"Microsoft’s plans to integrate Skype exclusively with its Lync enterprise communications platform could lock-in businesses who want to reach Skype’s 700 million account holders to a Microsoft-only platform.”

De Beer adds that Microsoft is a valued customer, supplier, partner and competitor of Cisco’s.

"We do not take this action lightly.”